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01/03/2011 – Two brothers from Gloucestershire are embarking on a previously unconquered task in the hope of bringing smiles and laughter to very poorly children across the country by raising money for Starlight Children’s Foundation.

Richard Cooper (aged 33) and brother David (31), both from Cheltenham, decided to ‘give something back’ and chose charity Starlight, which grants once-in-a-lifetime wishes for children with serious and terminal illnesses and provides entertainment in hospitals and hospices, as the beneficiary of their efforts.

The pair wanted to find a unique challenge that they could tackle in a month and so at the end of April, police officer Richard and paramedic David will be cycling from Lands End to John O’ Groats, a journey which covers the whole length of Great Britain over 874 miles – before running the same distance back!

Although the brothers have been training specifically for the challenge since September, they have both sustained a number of injuries while preparing for the task ahead and the gruelling target of 140 miles per day cycling and 39 miles per day running would be enough to test the very toughest of athletes.

The only comfort during the challenge will be their nightly respite and to make sure the pair get a good night’s sleep, Manchester-based LateRooms.com has generously offered to provide accommodation for the duo along the way. LateRooms.com is a leading hotel reservations company and a long-term corporate supporter of Starlight, and its team jumped at the chance to help Richard and David complete the task and meet their £20,000 fundraising target.

Richard commented: “My brother and I are both keen sportsmen but in essence we are just ordinary people who want to achieve something extraordinary for Starlight and this fitted the bill. We’ll complete the cycle in less than a week, but will still need to run a marathon and a half every day for over three weeks to complete the task! We know it’s fairly absurd and we will be pushing ourselves to the limit but it will be thoroughly worth it if we can help to raise significant awareness and funds for this very special charity.”

Information

Starlight grants a once-in-a-lifetime wish for seriously and terminally ill children, restoring the magic and fun of childhood and giving the whole family happy memories to share, whatever the future holds.

Starlight also creates entertainment in every hospital and hospice throughout the UK. Sick children go to Starlight parties, laugh their way through pantomimes, go out on Starlight Escapes, play games and watch films on the Starlight Fun Centre, and enjoy the toys and puzzles of the Starlight Distraction Box. Happy children respond better to treatment and Starlight helps children to forget about their illness and simply have a bit of fun.

You can make a donation online or by calling us on 020 7262 2881. For every £1 you donate, Starlight can assure you that 91p goes towards helping very ill children. To refer a child for a wish, simply complete our wish referral form.